Larcade
by NotObsessiveYet
Summary: If there was something that Larcade Dragneel knew, it's that you should never mess with family... (set after chapter 494)
1. Part 1

**Hi!**

 **Just an idea I came up with when reading the two last chapters. There will be maybe a sequel, but I really want to know what you think about it before deciding (and if anyone had imagined it too :) )**

 **Again, I do not own Fairy Tail, they're all Mashima's!**

 **I hope you will enjoy it!**

 **...**

Larcade

 _"Larcade! Go! I won't hold it for that much longer! Find Them! Save them!"_

 _Then came a cry of agony._

 _"NO! NA-..." He cried, before disappearing in the dark._

Larcade opened his eyes. This memory again. It had been haunting him since several nights from the moment he set a foot on that damn land.

Fiore.

The place where his family had been killed. One by one. Except for his uncle.

He scratched his head. They had finally neutralized the enemy as Fairy Heart and its holder were in their hands, and the last followers were dispersed. But soon, they would capture them. The war was almost finished. He would at last have the opportunity to avenge his family.

 _A laugh. His mother._

 _"Oh, you're so much like your dad..."_

 _A loving yet sad glance. A warm hug. His twin sister coming to add herself to the embrace._

With that beautiful picture,a more painful scene came to him.

 _"YOU WON'T HAVE THEM!"_

 _His mother was in front of him and his sister. Blood was running from her right side, where her usual clothes had been ripped off. The four-year-old girl next to him was shaking and crying, but he just looked, mouth agape and eyes wide opened, at all the red liquid coming from his mother. Then, it was finished. Then came the darkness._

 _He had always been afraid of the dark.._

 _"Come with me, Larcade."_

 _A voice. His uncle._

His fists tightened. Why did it all came to him suddenly?

ENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDEND

He went out of the room, sighing. Another boring reunion. Why didn't they just fight the last ones already, It was like they were asking to be killed.

Brandish did not seem as enthusiastic as they were. What was she thinking? He wondered. His mother's friend had never been usually one he could read easily, but seeing her like that made him doubt her. But then, he reasoned. She had as much reasons to hate them as he had, if not more.

ENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDEND

That was it. The final battle. The emperor was inside, with Fairy Heart. Eileen was more south, probably defeating that red-haired woman he had seen before. Neinhart and the ones he resurrected were with the ice mage and the water one at est. August and Brandish were west. Dimaria was nowhere to be found. And he was north.

And waiting. How much he wanted to fight right now!

Well, it seemed that someone up there heard him as suddenly, he was attacked by a furious pink-haired man. Pink, like his sister's hair.

How would his soul leave his body? Larcade wondered with a smirk.

"Hey, you weirdo," His opponent intervened. "You're sure you can put up a fight?"

He sounded worried.

Was this guy trying to piss him off already? Who was he?

"Don't think too ahead of yourself, little fairy..."

"The name's Natsu, by the way." His opponent smirked.

Natsu? How familiar... Where had he heard it before?

Well, that did not matter at this point. He was already charging him with a fireball.

He dodged easily and punched him back.

The guy only smirked after getting up. "Not too bad. I'm all fired up!"

"Hey! Don't you dare leave me behind!" A feminine voice called from behind his opponent.

"LUCY, DON T COME! HE'S MINE TO FIGHT! YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM!"

Smirking, Larcade turned towards the person his enemy was shouting to. Whoever it was, he was going to destroy it, slowly and painful-...

He gasped. His eyes widened.

Warm brown eyes. Golden hair. Curvy body that made the hugs so comforting and soothing... And she was called Lucy...

Could it be?

No, it wasn't possible...

"M... mom?"

Generally, Larcade was considered a calm guy. A cool guy, even. After all, his magic was more precise and effective when he was calm. Hell, since the beginning of this war, he did not lose his shit once (thanks to Eileen's hard lessons of yoga. Damn. He still had the scars). But THAT was much more than he could take.

They stared at him, bewildered. Geez. What was she doing here?

"Mom, you shouldn't be here!" He shouted. "Hide yourself!"

Her eyes widened.

Then he realized. He wasn't born yet! How could she understand?

If he could, he would slap himself.

But well, not in front of the enemy, that would be weird.

"STOP SAYING ANY NONSENSE, YOU BASTARD!" the pink-haired one yelled, running towards him with his fist. "FIGHT ME!"

"NO, WAIT, NATSU!" She cried.

He stopped suddenly. Had his mother that much power over that man? How did they even know each others?

"Lucy, " The guy began. "Are you sure?"

"Stop it," She said. "It's strange, I know, but... He's telling the truth. I feel it."

Yes, it was indeed his mother. So trustful and sweet...

"Well, anyway, just... don't come here," Larcade stuttered. "It's dangerous."

An awkward silence settled down.

"Seriously?" Lucy stated, one eyebrow raised.

"Look, I know you don't know me... yet," He began hesitantly, his hands in front of him. "But... if you don't, you're going to be killed, and I would never be born. And I can't let that happen."

"I think I've already heard of that scenario before..." Lucy said pensively.

"Geez, even your son is weird, Lucy," A shrieking voice appeared suddenly from nowhere.

"Shut up, you damn cat!" She yelled.

"A... Cat?" Larcade winced.

"Hey! He can't be our kid, he does not even know Happy!" Natsu intervened.

What... the hell was going on?

"Wait... our kid?" Lucy stated. Then she blushed.

The idiot was grinning, as if he had found the right answer. Really? His father could not be that guy! It was preposterous!

Even his mother did not agree! She humphed.

"Sure, he's not YOUR son," she smirked. "Maybe I've finally found the perfect boyfriend and settled down with him after the war..."

Take that, you pink-haired idiot! ... Wait, what?

"Well, not rea-" Larcade began.

"Oh yeah?" Natsu came closer to her, threatening.

"Yeah!" she countered, crossing her arms. "Maybe I couldn't help but fall for him because he was handsome, funny, intelligent, loyal, well-read and oh so charming...!"

"Well, that"s quite a long list, Lucy..." He groaned.

"Well, what can I say, I know what I want..." She teased.

O-Kay... That was weird. He wasn't supposed to see his own mother in this position! Even if she was younger!

"Hey... don't forget me here..." Larcade tried to intervene.

"But most of all, he would be here, and would not leave me for such a pity excuse of training..." She added, more bitterly.

"Hey! That was uncalled for!" Natsu winced. "You know why I had to leave!"

"And what if I don't?" She retorted.

"And... that did not happen this way..." Larcade mumbled weakly.

Lucy turned towards her "son". "See that! That's why he can't be your father!"

Larcade looked at them bewildered. No, maybe he had it wrong. She could not be his sweet and caring mother, and that guy was certainly not his father.

 _"You really are girly, Nashi! Look at your hair!"_

 _"You meanie!" His sister whined. "Even with these weird pink hair, I can still kick your ass!"_

 _"Enough, kidos," Their mother laughed. "And don't be ashamed of your hair, Nashi. They are the same as your father. Wear it with pride."_

Absolutely not. His sister Nashi must have inherited her hair from elsewhere. And her eyes too.

...

...

Holy shit. So this was true... His parents were the opponents... They were Fairy Tail's... How was that possible?! His uncle had told him they were killed by them!

Was he in the wrong since the beginning?

Was it his uncle all the time?

But he educated him and Nashi after their mother's death! He had even teached her how to open the gates... He had indicated him how to find him in the past!

...

Oh no...

"... And what's with his outfit?! That's so square!"

'Hey, don't look at me! He must have inherited your sense of style!"

"Oh, so you admit that he's my son!"

"SHUT UP YOU TWO!"

That was it. He had lost it.

"AND GET OUT MOM! I CAN'T HAVE YOU DIE IN FRONT OF ME ONCE AGAIN!"

He gasped and put his hands on his mouth. Why had he said this? He wasn't supposed to reveal the future!

They all looked at him, aghast.

"I... died?" Lucy realized.

"Again?" Happy repeated, shattered.

Then after quite a long silence, Natsu talked, his voice shaking.

"But your father... Hadn't he protected you? ... He was supposed to! That can't happen! And the guild..."

Larcade lowered and shook his head. Well, he had already said so much.

"He...You died before our birth. We were all alone..."

Natsu lowered his head, his bangs covering his eyes.

"Wait, did you say "our"?" Lucy intervened, breathlessly . "As in, more than one?"

His heart ached. "Two. Me and Nashi... my twin sister."

"But if you're here, in the past, and she's not here, then..." She began. Then realized.

"The gates... she sacrificed herself to send me back..."

He couldn't look at them now... How the situation had changed so suddenly... He was just fighting some enemy, and now, he was talking with his deceased parents. Another day, he would have laughed at it as it was that ridiculous.

Then, as suddenly, he was hugged. His eyes widened. His mother?

"I don't really understand what is going on. Everything is happening so fast.. I don't even know if it is not just some trap set by the one that want to bring my guild down... But I feel it. I feel you're telling the truth. You really are my son..."

He sobbed.

"I will protect you, mom.. I promise..." He hugged her back.

"Man, he really is your son, Natsu," The blue cat stated.

After some moments, his father added himself to the embrace. "Yes, he is."

It felt warm and right...

 _"Remember, kids," Their mother said tenderly, embracing them. "We are family. And what family do to one another?"_

 _"They protects themselves" The two children answered, smiles on their face._

 _"Right, kids," She laughed softly, tears in her eyes. "It's always more fun when we are together..."_

If only Nashi was there to feel it...

There must be a way to end this battle, Larcade thought. There must be!

"There will be," Natsu answered him determined. "We will find it."

"Together," Lucy added with a smile.


	2. Part 2

**Hi!**

 **Thanks for reading, following and/or favoriting this!**

 **As for the updates, you can look to my profile: I will try to write on it where I am left in the chapter, so you can guess when I will be posting :)**

 **Also, a BIG, BIG thank you to the ones that sent a review! Here, I'm going to reply to the guests' ones. So again, thanks FelicitousVixen, Guest and Lullubell. FelicitousVixen, I'm glad you think my story isn't crappy and I hope the next parts won't be :D**

 **I'm really glad you liked the first part and I hope the next ones (maybe one or two parts left, depending on my mood) will satisfy you! Don't hesitate to tell me what you think about it!**

 **That settled, let's get back to business!**

Part 2

"Are we there yet?"

"No, Natsu, for the hundredth time, we're not!" Lucy yelled.

Larcade sighed. They were like that since they decided to go back to the guild. Bickering back and forth. With sometimes that strange flying cat commentating their words. It was strange for him to see his parents like this. Especially his mother. When he was a child, she would always be sweet, caring and very smart. For that point, he had to change his perspective about her. At least when she was with _him_.

Larcade clearly did not like it. AT ALL. And he knew it was that guy's fault. His _father._

He was such a bad influence, Larcade thought. He wondered how they ever got together.

 _"Hey, Larcade, how do you think our dad was?"_

 _His sister was looking at him with her big green eyes as if he had all the answers. He became intimidated by the pressure. How could he admit his own ignorance?_

 _He was about to stutter some excuse, but then, a voice came out._

 _"Your father was one of a kind. Stubborn, but strong and fiercely loyal to the ones he cared about. He would have done anything for them. Even going back from the dead..."_

 _"I guess that's why mommy loved him so much!" Nashi grinned._

 _But only Larcade was in a corner, thinking deeply about his uncle's words. If he was like this, he thought, why wasn't he there?_

Larcade sighed. His uncle. He did not know how he should react. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding. He wanted to believe it. He really did.

But here they were, in front of the ruins of what once was Magnolia.. Or was it Crocus? They did not know anymore.

He saw his parents staring at it, his mother with tears in her eyes. Natsu gazed at her intensely. It made Larcade uncomfortable. _Very_ uncomfortable.

Natsu sneaked behind her with a cheeky smile and whispered to her ears. She shivered. Then calmed down. That would have gone unnoticed had the ones looking were not observant. Unfortunately for poor Lucy right there, she was with the wrong persons to be discret.

"No, Natsu, I'm not ready to have kids right now!" Lucy replied with a stern and loud voice. The only thing that was showing her embarrassment was the huge flush on her cheeks.

Natsu pouted and crossed his arms. _What a kid_ , Larcade thought.

Then, he spotted his son looking at him. He grinned and approached him. Oh boy, he was in trouble.

"So kid, I want to know everything." Natsu began, throwing an arm on his shoulders with his big smile still on. "What's your favorite food? What's your power exactly? What's wrong with that crux behind your back? Do you know how to read and write? Well, of course, you do, wouldn't be Lucy's son if you didn't... What about your fighting skills? I'm sorry to tell you, but I think I can teach you one thing or two..."

"Just learnt that he has a son from the future and here he is, all fired up about his education." Lucy mumbled, a hand on her forehead as if she had a bad headache.

"That's Natsu for you!" The little cat grinned.

Larcade sighed. The guy was annoying.

"Now is not the time to catch up." He stated harshly. "Just tell me what you're going to do when you'll be in front of my uncle."

"Your uncle?" Lucy stared at him, bewildered.

Natsu took his arm uneasily off his supposed son and Larcade's eyes widened in understanding.

"You didn't tell her?" He asked him, flabbergasted.

"... Nope."

"Didn't tell me what?" Lucy snapped.

"Lucy..." Natsu began.

"Maybe I can help with that, mistress Lucy."

The voice came behind Larcade's back, to Natsu and Lucy's surprise. His cross, in fact.

Larcade smiled. "Crux! I thought you'll never wake up."

"Crux?" Lucy's eyes widened.

It was indeed one of her spirits, here, on the back of her son from the future.

But what was even more surprising for her was to hear what he had to say. Natsu's head lowered at each word he was saying, more and more ill-at-ease. At the end of the story, the spirit returned to sleep. Mouth agape, Lucy turned towards her partner.

"So, you mean to tell me that you're secretly the little deceased brother of the biggest villain the world had ever know, that if he dies, _you_ die, and you were _hesitating_ to tell me about that fact?"

"Er... That's kind of it..."

"Fine."

"Fine?" Natsu gaped at her, disbelievingly.

"Fine." She crossed her arms, visibly irritated.

She turned towards Larcade with a sweet (almost sickening) smile.

"Larcade, I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I don't think you will ever be born. Not in that universe anyway."

"WHAT?"

"Hey, that's so not fair!" Natsu whined.

But Lucy ignored him. He pouted. Larcade was wondering when they will stop being childish. The two of them had obvious problems of communication. But then, Natsu turned towards him, smirking.

"Well... I can only guess that's your mother that gave you that name." Natsu sighed dramatically." You're lucky she did not name you Plue junior..."

"HEY!" Lucy shouted, offended. Then, she mumbled, crossing her arms. "Said the one that named his talking cat 'Happy' because everyone was laughing at him the day he was born..."

"Hey! That's mean, Lushieeee!" Happy whined.

"What's the problem with Larcade? It's cool!" Larcade protested.

"Is not!"

"Is too!

"Is not!"

"Lucy! When he's born, be convinced that I'll make sure you won't _ever_ name him like that." Natsu turned towards Lucy with a serious look.

"What the hell?" Larcade shouted.

"Actually, I think that the name Larcade is quite cute..."

"Thanks mom, I... WHAT? It's not cute at all, it's fearsome!"

Natsu snickered. "See, even your mom thinks it's girly..."

"Shut up, Natsu." Lucy replied irritably. Then, she continued with a soft smile towards her future son. "Whatever your name will be, you'll have to know that it was given to you with all the love and thoughts a mother can bring to her child. By hearing your name being called, you can thus be sure that someone cared so much about you that she or he couldn't help but presenting you to the world with it. Be proud of it."

After that, there was a little silence. Father and son looked at her with wide eyes. Then...

"I love you, mom..." Larcade hugged abruptly (albeit very tenderly) the blond-haired woman who suddenly blushed.

"Hey! Stop hogging Lucy all to yourself, kiddo!" Natu shouted, irritated.

Larcade sticked his tongue out.

"Oh, so you want to play that way, _son_?" Natsu snarled, offended.

He suddenly hugged his partner from behind, glaring at his supposed-son.

"Before you're getting all fired up, know that before you had your mother all to yourself, she was mine first!"

"Oh yeah? Too bad, finders keepers, loosers whiners!" Larcade smirked.

"We'll see about that..." Natsu groaned.

"Natsu, Larcade... I can't breathe.." Lucy stated breathlessly... and kind of bored.

"The kids, these days..." Happy commentated.

Then, he froze. The atmosphere had suddenly changed without their knowledge. They heard a voice snarling at them.

"Tsss Tss, Larcade. I'm kind of disappointed. I had such expectations for you..."

"Uncle..." Larcade disantangled himself from his mother and put himself in front of her.

"Well, I guess it had to be expected..." Zeref sighed sarcastically.

"Such a pretty family picture, don't you think?" He added casually. "I'm kind of offended not to be in it... What do you think, Mavis? Family sticks together, right?"

Said-girl was behind him, shaking slightly and eyes glaring despairingly at her enemy.

"The first! What have you done to her?" Natsu shouted.

"Nothing for you to worry about. She will only be the witness of all that."

"NATSU! LUCY!" Other voices called.

They turned to the origin of the noises. Erza Scarlett. Gray Fullbuster. Juvia Lockser. Levy McGarden. Gajeel Redfox. Cana Alberona. The eighth master was not in sight, neither their strongest mage, Gildarts Clive.

"Stop in there!" Natsu shouted. Which was effective. They stopped right there, gaping at him.

"Well, I guess the more the merrier." Zeref laughed humorlessly.

But then, his gaze dwelled on Lucy.

"Layla's daughter. How ironic."

Lucy stiffened. Natsu's hold of her strenghened.

"Uncle... Why didn't you told me about them? About our family? Is it true? Did you..."

Said-man shook his head with a disbelieving smile. "So, you know, now. I would have hoped it would be much later. Such a shame..."

He did one gesture, and then Larcade knew he was screwed. He couldn't move anymore. _Crap_. How did he let himself trapped that easily?

"You damned..." Natsu began.

"Did you find another way to fulfill your purpose, brother?" Zeref interrupted.

But it was Lucy that answered. Rather harshly."No way he's going to do that, you creep!"

Larcade stared at her, flabbergasted. Nobody had _ever_ dared to talk to his uncle like that. And stayed _alive_.

"Natsu is our friend and we will never let him go like that!" Happy added, determined.

His mother's eyes widened suddenly.

Zeref sighed pleasantly. "Then I guess everything is fated to go according to my plan. You're rather useless, brother."

Here came the silence.

"WHAT?"

"Sorry to say that buddy, but he's kind of true right there." Happy commentated.

"ZEREF, COME HERE AND I WILL KICK YOUR ASS!" Natsu shouted, offended.

"NO FREAKING WAY!"

That's when Lucy slapped him. Hard. He stood and stared, shocked, as if not believing what was happening.

"If you think I'm going to watch you giving up your life that easily, then you don't know me at all!" She yelled.

Then, she continued, more softly. "Do you really want to leave us? Again?"

His head lowered. His gaze was downcasted.

"I won't EVER forgive you if you do that, do you hear me? I promise it!"

He winced.

 _"I promise it, Larcade! If you ever dare to use Plue as a punching ball, I will make sure your life becomes a living hell!" A shrieking voice yelled._

 _Nashi. Her pink hair was messed up as she was glaring at him._

 _"You better do what she says, Larcade," Their mother laughed. "Celestial mages never break promises."_

 _"Of course we don't!" Nashi added. "You can always be sure that even missing, I would get back there to kick your ass if you do that!"_

 _But then, she cowered under their mother's disapproving look._

Larcade winced too, at the memory.

"So, I guess we're in a dead end there," Zeref said with a slight tired smile on his face.

"Such a shame," He added. "Fairy Tail. Alvarez. It's all going to end here."

Mavis gazed at Lucy determinedly, as if trying to say something to her. She blinked. Larcade saw all of this, frustrated. Something was going on, and he did not understand it at all.

And he really did not like it. AT ALL.

"I guess it's time for me to express regrets, don't you think, Mavis?" Zeref sighed once again. "You always liked that part."

And he continued, his eyes reddening as he talked.

"I have wished everything wouldn't come off to this. I wished I could bring back all of our family together. But it seemed that even the gods were deaf to it. That family of ours was never to be. It needed to be destroyed from the start. It could never worked out in that universe, nor to an other!"

"It could be."

Astounded, Natsu and Larcade stared at Lucy. She had a long time ago disantangled herself from Natsu's embrace and was slowly approaching Zeref.

"Lucy..." Natsu tried to hold her back. She smiled at him.

"Trust me." was all she said. He nodded, ignoring his son's protestation: "And you're letting her?"

"Let go, kid," He replied to him after that with a confident smile. "Your mother is strong. If she says she can handle this, she will."

 _"Mommy will come back. Always. I know this."_

 _Nashi was grinning reassuringly at him. He stared, unsure and with tears in his eyes._

 _But she did._

Larcade sighed, and then smiled softly. Of course she will handle this.

Well, he kind of had to trust her, frozen as he was.

Then, Lucy stared determinedly at her opponent.

"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention..." Zeref laughed humorlessly.

"I know it won't," She countered. "People had died already, many will after. We all have lost something or someone. But there's one thing you still haven't understood."

"Now is not the time to talk about love and friendship, foolish girl." Zeref sighed once again, exasperated. "Mavis here is proof enough that it won't save me, nor you."

"Indeed. Only you can save yourself."

"What?"

"All of this were done for one reason. YOU became what you are for one reason."

"You're boring me."

But she continued nonetheless. "Natsu. You couldn't let him go."

"And see where it led me." Zeref snarled.

"Mavis. You loved her."

"And that killed her."

"Larcade. You took care of him."

"It was all part of a plan."

"Was it?" Lucy raised an eyebrow. "I saw it. Even when you wanted to destroy, you created something."

"What?"

"Love for hate, Death for life," She continued listing, taking a step forward."Light for dark. It all mixes together somehow."

Zeref smirked. This wasn't going to end well, Larcade thought.

Hell, since the beginning, it was all screwed up!

"Then, you're going to tell me that One Magic is Love. Tell me something that I don't know, daughter of Layla. "

She smiled softly. "Indeed it is. I feel it. All around me. The bonds we all share. The bonds that make us family. The ones that connect us all to the ones we care about, whether we like it... or, in your case, not."

Zeref laughed half-heartedly. Then stopped, breathless and exasperated. "Enough of it."

"I think we had enough, indeed." She was close, very close to him. Natsu was beginning to be agitated. Larcade even more. "There's only one thing left to do."

Suddenly, she hugged him. Zeref's eyes widened, and so did everyone's. But only he, Natsu and Larcade heard what she whispered next.

"Let go."

Rays of lights appeared at that moment, each of them linking a person to others like some kind of spider's web. Larcade felt other presences all around them, every one of them painfully familiar. _Spirits_.

 _"It's all about the bonds we share, remember it," Their mother smiled softly at them while leading them to a tender embrace. "It means that no matter what happens, we will always be there for one another. That's one true magic."_

Then, the lights went out. And reality came back to him.

She fell. And did not get up. They stared at her and at the dark wizard.

"LUCY!"

It was Natsu. He ran towards her, as if his life depended on it. But as he was about to touch her, it was already too late.

Her body had disappeared.

He shook terribly, his hand twitching at if trying to catch her essence, but failing at that.

Reality hit the group. It started with one sob. Then, a cry. A tiny blue-haired girl. She was held back by a tall man with dark hair and piercings. A red-haired woman fell on her knees. Some others froze. Others shook. Everything was slowing up in time. But then...

"BRING HER BACK!" Natsu shouted, having caught Zeref by his collar and glaring at him. The fire on his body was already attacking his brother's clothes.

"Natsu, stop!" Mavis cried. "It's over, now!"

Nobody dared to make a move.

"I... can't..." Zeref replied, still shocked by the blond-haired woman's gesture.

"I SAID..." Natsu was about to punch him on the jaw, when suddenly, a trembling voice came out.

"Dad... "

His head turned abrupty towards the origin of the voice, flabbergasted.

"I'm alive..." Larcade was shaking.

"You're..."

"I'M ALIVE!"

Realizations dawned to everyone as Larcade continued sobbing.


	3. Part 3

**Hello!**

 **Sorry for taking so long! So many opportunities concerning my studies were given to me during these weeks, and I did not really find time to write properly.**

 **I know the previous chapter was kind of confusing (well, that was a bit the point), and I hope this one will bring some answers that will satisfy you.**

 **I hope you will enjoy!**

Part 3

Funny how the situation may change in a few minutes. Allies can become enemies after some unexpected revelation, and the contrary can also be seen (sadly, not often). Imprevisbility was generally something Fairy Tail's members were used to in their everyday-day lives. But the kind of uncertainty that was laying in there was not the kind they wanted to experiment ever again. It was suffocating, full of unanswered questions, contained rage and defiance, whether it was in the opponent's side or in the defendant one.

Especially in the defendant one.

Larcade sighed, crestfallen. It was like this since the dispute with his uncle. Since his mother's... disappearance.

He winced. The memory was painful ad invoked others of the same kind. He felt helpless.

Well, helpless but not hopeless, to be correct. How could he even be here? If he was here, then, everything wasn't really over, right? His mother must be here, _somewhere_.

But where?

That question lingered between all of them, making the air heavier to breathe by the minute.

The guild even left him alone, although some of them were glancing at him curiously sometimes. But it seemed the apparent loss of their companion was more important than their curiosity for the moment.

It seemed to be worst on his father's side, as he was sitting on a rock, head down on his arms and unmoving since his confrontation with the ice mage, a short amount of time after his mother's disappearance. So many things happened quickly at that time, yet, the shock of the moment had numbed them and slowed up their perception of it.

 _"So, you're it. You're END."_

 _Larcade watched the dark-haired man approach to his father. The tone was calm, but cold and detached._

 _Natsu did not answer. He did not seem to have heard him, as his gaze was still lost on the ground, seemingly always thinking about what happened earlier, searching for answers. But it did not inspire Gray's sympathy and seemed to have added more fuel to the fire. The dark-haired mage got closer to him dangerously._

 _"You're the monster that has been threatening us since all this time... The one that Tartaros wanted to revive, the one that created all of this... The one my father died for..."_

 _The silence continued._

 _"ANSWER ME, YOU... DEMON!" He yelled._

 _"GRAY!" Erza screamed. Then, she calmed down suddenly. She lowered her head, as if to hide the tears in her eyes and managed to utter a crestfallen "Enough."._

 _Gray's knees fell at this word. It was like everything in him had turned off, except one thing..._

 _He was almost laughing humorlessly when his voice came out._

 _"After all these years, all these adventures together, you were in front of me, narguing me, making me believe that I had not only a rival, but also a friend, a brother... Even when we thought it was over, you brought us together, but what was it for, Natsu? It was all just a game, wasn't it? You knew it since the beginning, I bet it even amused you to see me open up to you like that about my father, that plan of revenge... And Lucy..."_

 _Natsu raised suddenly his eyes, stricken._

 _"You played with her too... You played with all of us, you..."_

 _But he did not continue, as Natsu punched him on the face, still glaring at him with tears in her eyes as the hit were sending the ice mage a few meters backwards._

 _"DON'T YOU DARE..." he began. But as soon as his mouth opened, his body shook terribly and his voice came out hoarse, soon inaudible._

 _One dark laugh answered it. Gray. "Finally you show your true colours..."_

 _"ENOUGH!"_

 _The cry came from the water mage, her voice betraying the tears that couldn't help but fall on her cheeks. Everyone looked at her, bewildered, Gray more even so. His eyes widened, his mouth opened. She lowered her head, but continued with a firm voice._

 _"This is not how it should be. This can't be! This has to stop!"_

 _"Juvia..." Gray began._

 _She interrupted. "When Juvia first met Master Gray, he was fighting. Fighting for Lucy Heartfilia, his friend that was missing. Fighting with his friends, not_ against _them. His determination to protect them, to fight by their sides, like they were his family...That's why Juvia fell for him. That's why she decided to join Fairy Tail, to be part of that family. She made new friends, some were love rivals, but after a while, she began to trust them and cherish them. Lucy Heartfilia was one of them, even if Juvia envied her relationship with Master Gray. But it felt great, to be accepted despite Juvia's water. And even when that family divided for a while, she stayed by Master Gray's side, not only because she felt guilty for his father's death, but also because with him, it was the closest she felt when she was in the guild. She felt like she belonged."_

 _She took a small break to let out a sob. "_ _But can Juvia call that family now when Master Gray does not want to protect his friends anymore? Does he still deserve to be called Master Gray? Can Fairy Tail be still called Fairy Tail when its members fight against each others?_ _Is it the Fairy Tail Lucy wanted to reunite with Natsu?_ _Would she like to see it?_ _"_

 _T_ _he silence continued, sometimes broken by sobs. Larcade was watching all of this, but it did not seem to go anywhere. They were all devastated and it was like they forgot that their former opponents (well, needless to say the war was over now that their leader had isolated himself from the battlefield after Gray's intervention, quickly joined by the first master)_ _were still here, watching it with the same detachement as if it happened in fiction_ _._

 _S_ _he screamed out loud, her eyes so heavy by her tears that she could not open them. "IF IT'S THAT, JUVIA DOES NOT WANT TO BE IN FAIRY TAIL'S ANYMORE!"_

 _She fell down, shaking with her face on her hands._

 _And, just at that moment, to everyone's surprise, Gray stood up, head down, embraced her. And cried._

 _She stared at him, flabbergasted._

 _Natsu looked at them with longing for a moment._

 _"Natsu..." Erza began, noticing his change of behavior._

 _But he did not seem to listen to her and went back to his former place._

And there he was, still in that position. The others had distanced themselves from him, but were still throwing hesitant glances sometimes. Cowards, Larcade thought bitterly.

He glared at the pink-haired man.

This was not the father he and Nashi had expected. Not the father his mother and his uncle had been talking about.

Talking about his uncle... Why was he coming back now? And why had his hands intertwined with the first master of Fairy Tail?

Was it not _a little_ too soon for romance? Larcade thought bitterly.

"Your majesty..."

He couldn't even say if it was Irene, Dimaria, or any other member of that fucked up team. His _own_ team.

What an idiot.

But that intervention seemed to wake up Fairy Tail's members.

"The first! Could you please tell us what is really going on here?" A tall blond man asked.

This question led to others, all asked by several persons at the same time.

"What happened? Where is Lucy? What had she done? Did the dark mage killed her? (Zeref winced at that one) What is he doing here? "

But to all these questions (except the latter) came only one answer from the first.

'She used Fairy Heart."

It took time for the information to sink in. But when it did, a small bluenette (Levy McGarden, from his memories) intervened.

"Fairy Heart? But... How did she learn it? How did she even know about it? And isn't it your..."

"She didn't," Mavis interrupted. "Fairy Heart is not a magic you learn, it's a magic you feel."

Her hand left her uncle's, who didn't spare her glance and went hesitantly to Natsu's side. Mavis gazed at him for a minute, as the pink-haired man paid no attention to him, listening as if his life depended on it.

"You all think you know what Fairy Heart is. One of the most powerful magic reservoir the world had ever seen. All of this contained in my body since centuries. But what you don't know is that it isn't just in me..."

She breathed in, then out.

"Fairy Heart is bestowed to everyone that holds its mark," She continued."As long as they want to protect what they hold dear.. It's what protected you from dying in Tenrou Island. It's what made you stronger when you thought everything was going to end. The power of our bonds, linking us by our marks, or, for some people, by their biological proximity. And when I recover my body, that power only strenghtened."

"That's complete nonsense, the first! Damn, could you get to the point?" Natsu yelled. "Where is she?"

"Calm down, Natsu." Zeref reprimanded him without even looking at him.

His red eyes were shining dangerously.

"You..." Natsu began with rage, fire wrapping his body suddenly.

"Natsu, don't..." Erza cried.

But it did not seem to impress Zeref, as he continued.

"She's here."

A silence followed his revelation.

"WHAT?"

His father's head turned vigourously from right to left, looking for her. But Larcade could only stare at his uncle, puzzled.

"And, at the same time, she isn't..." Mavis intervened hesitantly.

"What's that nonsense?" Natsu groaned.

"Is it like Edolas and its anima?" A white-haired girl intervened.

The name was Lisanna, if he remember well.

"Not exactly," Zeref answered. "As you must know, the Heartfilia family has a strong bond with the Eclipse Gate..."

"But it had been destroyed!" Levy interrupted.

Damn... What was wrong with Fairy Tail's members? Nobody even dared to interrupt Zeref even once! At least, not in Alvarez...

"Indeed, it has been. But it can still be opened if their owner wishes for it..."

"WHY WOULD SHE EVEN WISH IT?" Natsu raised, pissed off. "ALL THAT IS COMPLETE NONSENSE!"

Zeref glared at him, then waved. That was it. Poor man was unable to move now.

But at least his tongue still worked, apparently.

"Let me finish, Natsu. At least if you want to know where she is. "

That seemed to shut him up.

"Good. What I mean to say is that the celestial mages of that family had a strong link with time. Past, present, future. It has always been in their blood, even when they weren't aware of it. In my time, they could even travel through time. It was instinctual for them. When I talk to Anna Heartfilia about it, she told me that it happened when they had strong links to some time precisely. It served as anchors. And when Fairy Heart was added to it, it strenghened."

"Which means... Where the hell is she exactly?" Natsu intervened.

"Tsk. Always too impatient," Zeref sighed. "I was going to it. It seems like her bond to you is strong, brother. She's in the time when it all began. 400 years ago."

Silence. Then...

"Liar!"

"If you want a proof, dear brother, you just have to call one of the celestial spirits..."

"How convenient!" Natsu mocked him. "Her keys disappeared with her."

"Do you really think so?"

Then, Larcade realized.

How could he have forgotten.

"CRUX!"

They all turned towards him, flabbergasted. Only Zeref and Mavis did not seem surprised.

"Wake up, you lazy ass! I need you!" Larcade continued, excited.

"What for, Master?" The poor spirit yawned.

"Where's my mother, Crux? I know you have access to that information!"

The spirit paused for a moment. "What master Zeref said is true. She's in Fiore, 400 years before that time."

"And how do we get her back here?" Natsu snapped.

"Both sides must be in possession of the golden keys and have the willingness to come back. The Eclipse Gate must be repaired. The balance between time must also be respected, which means..."

"...one of us must come back in his time," Larcade finished, his eyes widening in understanding.

The Dragneels looked at each others.

"I'll go," Natsu stated.

"You idiot!"Larcade screamed at him.

"Hey! Don't talk to your old man like that!" He whined.

"You won't be my old man if you come back to time!" He

"... Well, that's quite true..." Natsu conceded.

" Hopefully, he does not seem to have inherited his father's common sense." Zeref mumbled, the whole guild seeming to approve of his words.

"That's mean!"

"But soo true!" Happy added.

Did that little cat only exist for commentating their remarks? Larcade wondered.

Well, that was until a little bluenette approached him sneakily.

"So.. You're really Lu-chan and Natsu's son, " Levy McGarden said with a cheeky smile.

"Er..." Was that really the moment?

"I knew it!" A drunken brunette cried suddenly, excited. "Pay off, you suckers!"

"Well, hopefully, you would have inherited your intelligence from your mother..."

'Hey... I still feel insulted here..." Natsu intervened, annoyed.

"Anyway, I am the one that must go," Larcade interrupted. "No question."

"But before you got excited that much, you must realize something..." Brandish made her presence know. "We don't have all of the keys."

"Exact," Zeref approved. "But contrarily to what Natsu thought, her keys did not disappeared with her. They stayed in the same place she did. If one other celestial mage has the remaining keys, she can be brought back."

And indeed, they were. Buried quite deeply, but still here.

"But there would still be a missing key," Brandish continued.

They stared at her, not seeming to understand what she was saying.

"Aquarius'. She broke it in Tartaros to call the Spirit King," She stated.

The guild members gaped at her, realizing suddenly the situation.

"She... did?" Natsu lowered his head.

She gazed at him intensely, then crossed her arms and looked away.

"Tsk. I'll find it. I'll find Aquarius's key."

They stared at her.

"It was my mother's task to take care of it. I have to do this."

Erza approached her.

"So be it." The scarlet woman put a hand on her shoulder, smiling.

ENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENENDENDENDENDEND

And that's how they began to prepare themselves. Brandish left at once, and strangely, Dimaria came with her. The others were watching lazily, not wanting to do anything for their former ennemies (not that Zeref demanded them _anything_ ). Some points of the mystery were not revealed yet, but still, they did not seem to care. As if it was normal to have the (former, apparently) biggest villain by their side (if you don't count Acnologia, but it seemed that they would have to wait several times before he found his way back).

His father was sitting impatiently in front of the broken Eclipse Gate, with his friends trying to reason with him. He approached them.

"...Do you not trust her to come back?" Erza was saying.

"Of course I do! But what if she's hurt? What if somebody was keeping her from coming back?"

"She will find a way. She always does. It's Lucky Lucy, remember?" Erza scolded him.

"Yeah... Lucky Lucy..." Natsu avoided her gaze.

"Oh, come on, don't be broody... She wouldn't like it, you know?" She teased.

"Like I care! If she doesn't like it, she has to come see me!" Natsu snapped.

And he left.

Larcade was about to follow him when Erza stopped him.

"Let him. It's hard for him to handle this. First Igneel, then Lucy. And all these story about his family... He must take time to fully recover from all of this."

"Just hope he doesn't decide to suddenly go training for one year..." Gray added.

"Geez, you don't have to bring it on, Gray. You're no better." Juvia interrupted, arms crossed.

He winced. Even Larcade could see it was quite out of character for the blue-haired woman to talk like that to him.

He sighed. Well, apparently, the only thing he could do for now was to wait. And get used to this for a moment. He did not have all the answers to his questions yet, but it did not seem the right time to demand for more in his uncle's side.

How frustrating. But at least he knew one thing. And it gave him hope.

Only time could bring back what they had lost.

...

...

 **I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think about it! Reviews always make my day :)**

 **Well, last time, I said that the final part was going to be released in two or three days. Sorry, but I think I was a bit too optimistic, as I realized there is a big mystery called Acnologia that I really forgot (poor guy). But I can promise that I will do my best to release it next week. Until then, bye for now!**


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